When first toying around with the purpose behind this column, yours truly was going to summarize every game on the CU men’s basketball team’s schedule, but what a work of mind-numbing futility that would be.
Because honestly, that’s not really necessary.
Just for fun though, here’s a brief synopsis of what that would have possibly looked like: win over a team that doesn’t matter, another one, ditto, loss, loss, loss, annual upset of a good team at home, loss, loss, loss, the coach gets upset because he believes his players have quit on him even though he was the one who quit on his players first, loss, loss and loss. OK, you get the point.
But does anyone really care?
Sure, the CU basketball team had the odds stacked against it right from the beginning. It was playing for a lame-duck head coach, it did not have its second-leading scorer from a season ago because of academic reasons and it had more inexperience than Steve Carell’s character in “The 40 Year Old Virgin.”
But once again, does anyone really care?
Judging by the attendance at CU games this season, and for the past five years really, the answer would have to be no. Of course, how are Buff fans supposed to care when it seems like players on the team don’t? One “star” player comes to mind, and the quotes are there because it depends on your definition, who didn’t even bother to lead, to mature, or heck, even get down in a defensive stance.
Not that it can all be put on the shoulders of the “star.” He was playing with eight freshmen and his coach didn’t exactly do a lot to take the load off his shoulders. But then again, that can’t be expected of freshmen so early in their careers.
The freshmen have their own dramatic story as far as this season is concerned. They are convinced in high school to give up four years of their life to a program and a coach only to find out almost upon arrival that their coach is quitting.
The war analogy is often used in sports. Let’s translate this scenario.
General (coach): “Gentlemen, I want you to serve me and this platoon (program) for the next four years. Give your blood, sweat and tears to this platoon and I’ll do the same right back.”
Soldiers (players): “OK General. We’re in.”
After a brief stay with General.
General: “Well soldiers, I’ll be leaving after your training to find another position.”
Actually, if there is anyone the Buff basketball fan base should be able to identify with it is the freshmen from this year’s squad. Both probably feel abandoned, both probably wonder what they’ve gotten themselves into and both are probably wondering if they can get out.
Like Buff fans, the young guys on this team during the “Season of Shame” (that’s in quotes because a documentary should be made with the aforementioned title followed by the sub-title: “Recipe 101 for How to Have a Miserably Ineffective College Basketball Season”) were the innocent bystanders. Not only were those kids trying to deal with the most awkward position in sports, of having to play for a head coach everyone knows is on his way out, but they were also trying to adjust to a new environment and level of competition.
Hopefully the young guys, who mostly came from greatly successful high school teams, have the desire to return to CU for another year, because all cynicism aside, there is a lot of potential there.
And hopefully the “star” player has the common sense to return for his senior year. If he didn’t think he was going to get drafted in the first round last year, then he certainly won’t after the kind of season he had this year.
And hopefully Athletic Director Mike Bohn and his designated search committee can hire a coach who will see more success than that other “coach” did. Again, note the quotation marks.
And hopefully somewhere down the line when the CU program is turned around, some Buff fans will be there to notice.
Buff fans, will you still be there?
